Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Spring Bulbs for Schools investigation this year! Participants completed challenges and kept weather records to earn Super Scientist certificates & prizes. Many thanks to the really Welsh company for supplying our daffodils and the 1st prize - a daffodil picking day at their farm near Bridgend. Also a big thanks to the staff at Kenfig Nature Reserve.
The standard was extremely high this year and Professor Plant would like to thank all the schools that made this investigation a success! Below are details of the schools and home educated participants who excelled.
1st place: Pentrepoeth Junior School, Morriston, Swansea. Lead by teacher Kay Mills. Prize: A trip to the really Welsh farm & Kenfig Nature Reserve.
2nd place: Glyncollen Primary School also of Morriston, Swansea. Lead by teacher Ann Richards.Prize: A pair of digital binoculars.
Home educatedwinners: The Jones family from Llandrindod Wells and the Butterworth family from Carmarthenshire have shown real commitment to their recording. Prize: A trip to the really Welsh farm & Kenfig Nature Reserve.
Highly commended schools: Ysgol Nant Y Coed, Ysgol Talhaiarn, Howell's School Llandaff, Ysgol Y Ffridd, Ysgol Porth Y Felin, Pembroke Dock Community school, Ysgol Penycae (Ystradgynlais) Prizes: Super scientist certificates and seedlings for their school.
Schools noted for their dedication and good record keeping:Ysgol Gynradd Deganwy Primary, Milford Haven Junior school, St. Joseph's R C Primary, Coleg Powys, Glan Conwy, Ysgol Iau Hen Golwyn, Ysgol Pen Y Garth, Bishop Childs CIW Primary School, Murch Junior School, Newton Primary, Oakfield Primary school, Windsor Clive Primary, Ysgol Gynradd Brynconin, Ysgol Gynradd Deganwy Primary. Prizes: Each pupil to receive super scientist certificates and seedlings for their school.
Late flowers = late report: Normally by now we are able to compare this years flowering dates with those recorded in previous years, but as it has been so cold - some records are still being sent in. Over the next few weeks Professor Plant will be working on this report and it will be published on the Spring Bulbs for Schools website www.museumwales.ac.uk/scan/bulbs
This winter has been the coldest in 30 years - so our flowers have opened much later than usual. Our first crocus was recorded in Murch Junior School on the 14th of February and our 1st daffodil also at Murch on the 17th of February.
Finally, this week the daffodils in my garden have produced their buds and hopefully should be ready to open soon! They seem a lot shorter than in previous years. We will study the records to see if this is a trend this year.
Many thanks
Professor Plant
Mystery bulb No.1 Can you guess what it is?
Mystery bulb No.2 Can you guess what it is?
22/3/2010 Daffodils in Cardiff. Sent in by Mr. Alun Jones
In early December we looked forward to an early spring but then the cold weather slowed everything down. Now, with temperatures slowly rising, school scientists are reporting new signs of spring across Wales! My shoots have also started to come through!
In Pentrepoeth Junior School, Swansea. Pupils were very excited to find crocus, daffodil and mystery bulbs peeping through the soil. They were surprised how some of their shoots varied in size and love recording the temperature and rainfall.
On the really Welsh farm, in Bridgend. Farmers have finally started picking daffodils and sending them out across South Wales. They report: 'Still not huge volumes really, we are extremely disappointed at how slow the daffodils are growing this year. We are about 5 weeks behind for the earliest varieties and are keeping our fingers crossed that we will have plenty of daffodils for St.Davids Day'.
20/02/10 My crocus opened today! First the flower bud appeared, then when the sun came out at lunch time - the flower popped open. The colours were amazing, bright purple petals and bright orange anthers & stigma. It's so nice to finally have some colour in the garden. Later in the afternoon, when the sunshine disappeared the flower closed again. I'll upload my pictures tomorrow. Does your crocus do this? Why not try out some of my investigation ideas. See link below.
15/02/10 Both my daffodil and crocus shoots have started to come through. They are no taller than 2cms which is quiet small for this time of year. In 2008, when the winter was mild my crocus flowers had already opened and the daffodils were 11cms tall!
Which shoot is which? The daffodil shoots have smooth curved, light green tips. They are much broader than the crocus tips. The crocus shoots have narrow pointed shoots that normally appear in clusters of five. They have dark green edges - making them look slightly stripey.
Competition winners! Pentrepoeth Primary and home educated families - daffodil picking at the really Welsh farm.
Picking and bunching.
Director of really Welsh company, Richard Arnold, explaining how to be a good daffodil farmer.
Pupils picking their own.
Youngest member of the Jones family helping out for the day!
Carwen the leek from really Welsh and Professor Plant from the museum.
Pupils swotting up on pond life with museum facilitator Grace Todd.
Warm-up race at Kenfig Nature Reserve.
Listening to the warden - Graham Holmes.
Last picture by Kenfig Lake.
29/3/10
29/3/10
28/3/10 The 1st Daffodil to open.
25/03/2010 - This daffodil has just started to open - it should open up fully tommorrow.
22/03/10 The daffodil bud has tilted - which means it is almost ready to flower.
daffodil buds - 15/03/10
20/02/10 All my crocus are very short. They popped up very quickly and opened on a sunny afternoon. Since, we have had more cold weather and snow and they have had to close again.
10/02/10 When the sun is out the petals fully open out - this is the view from above.
20/02/10 First Crocus. See how transparent the stem is.
Crocus - 13/02/10
Daffodil 14/02/10
Competition winners! Pentrepoeth Primary and home educated families - daffodil picking at the really Welsh farm.
Picking and bunching.
Director of really Welsh company, Richard Arnold, explaining how to be a good daffodil farmer.
Pupils picking their own.
Youngest member of the Jones family helping out for the day!
Carwen the leek from really Welsh and Professor Plant from the museum.
Pupils swotting up on pond life with museum facilitator Grace Todd.
Warm-up race at Kenfig Nature Reserve.
Listening to the warden - Graham Holmes.
Last picture by Kenfig Lake.
29/3/10
29/3/10
28/3/10 The 1st Daffodil to open.
25/03/2010 - This daffodil has just started to open - it should open up fully tommorrow.
22/03/10 The daffodil bud has tilted - which means it is almost ready to flower.
daffodil buds - 15/03/10
20/02/10 All my crocus are very short. They popped up very quickly and opened on a sunny afternoon. Since, we have had more cold weather and snow and they have had to close again.
10/02/10 When the sun is out the petals fully open out - this is the view from above.
20/02/10 First Crocus. See how transparent the stem is.
